1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydro-jet fitting for a tub and, more particularly, to a method and means for conducting air to a hydro-jet fitting through the side wall of a tub.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While swimming pools and jacuzzies have been popular for many years, recent years have witnessed a significant upsurge in interest in hot tubs. In many cases, the hot tubs are molded in one piece from fiberglass and other materials. Alternatively, a hot tub is made from dried redwood in which the tub walls are formed of individual staves secured to a floor and held in position by steel hoops.
In either event, a complete tub contains a support system including most of the elements found in use with a swimming pool or a jacuzzi. The water must be heated and filtered and a pump included for circulating same. A variety of valves and fittings are utilized to control flow rate, rise time, and sensitivity.
Virtually all such tubs incorporate a closed-loop water circulation system including one or more hydro-massage jet fittings for mixing air with the water before pumping the water into the tub. By this means, the water in the tub is agitated, creating a hydro-massage action.
In a typical installation, one or more of such fittings are positioned in laterally-extending holes in the side wall of the tub, each fitting being connectable to a source of water for conducting water into the tub. The body of the fitting has an air inlet and a venturi air-induction system within the body draws air into the body from the air inlet and mixes the air with the water for conduction into the tub. The air inlet is commonly positioned external of the tub.
A problem is presented by the fact that the fitting is below the level of the water in the tub. As long as the pump is circulating water into the tub, air is drawn into the fitting. However, when the pump is turned off, water from the tub will be conducted into the fitting to the air inlet thereof. If the air inlet remains below the water level, the result would be that the tub would be drained through the air inlet.
For this reason, it has become necessary to connect one end of a hose, tube, or cane to the air inlet of the fitting and to position the other end of the cane above the water level. Therefore, when the pump is turned off, while the cane fills with water, such water does not immerge from the top end thereof.
While this arrangement prevents the draining of the tub, it is often an unacceptble solution to the problem. That is, in most tubs, multiple fittings are positioned therearound and each fitting requires its own air cane. The result is an unattractive assemblage of vertically oriented, spaced air canes positioned around the outside of the tub. In addition to this being unsightly, it is often difficult to install where the tub is mounted in a deck or other permanent structure. That is, it is usually either impractical, unfeasable, or unattractive to run these air canes through the deck. A suitable solution to this problem has been unavailable heretofore.